I would imagine Monday during the daytime would be a good time to try and get one. Most people are at work and the fanatics should have worn themselves out after waiting in line for hours during opening weekend. I'm planning on going Monday, and if there's still a line, then I'll just do as I did last year and wait a week and buy one when the store is back to normal

Just my opinion, don't even bother with the AT&T stores they only get about 50 or so in at a time.. You will have better luck at an apple store. Your best bet is to let your fingers do the walking and call and see what the lines are like.. I got to my local apple store at 7:50am sat morning. They had only 8 gigs in stock so I was just going to get an 8. 9:30 rolled around and fed ex showed up with another fifty 16 gigs and there were only 10 people in front of me.. needless to say I got lucky and got a white 16 gig but I had to wait line for over two hours to get one.

6 hours (from first stepping into the line until walking out the door with a new iPhone) on Saturday, at the Manhattan Beach, CA Apple Store. My specialist activated it, but didn't even open the package. I registered it and synched up some files at home via iTunes on Saturday evening. Took only a few minutes. The biggest issue was getting voicemail working. (AT&T website has some weird info about pressing and holding down the "1" key, but this doesn't work with a software button... Eventually got voicemail working, and the visual functionality is great.

3G network coverage is supposed to be at the highest level near my home. I have trouble getting 3G in many parts of my dwelling, and Edge is definitely slow.

I got to my local AT&T store Friday @ 0600, was number 34 in line, and walked out w/ my black 16G iPhone 3G at 0915. My fiance wants one now after playing w/ mine, so I'm doing my homework and calling ahead to Apple stores and AT&T stores before getting in that line again!

I went Friday and Saturday evening and the lines at the Apple store were ridiculous. I didn't even bother driving over Sunday. I'll just drive over next weekend when the lines will probably be very small or gone completely.

Does anyone else find it hard to believe they were able to sell over 1 million phones considering the fact that it takes so much time to activate and there are only so many places selling them?

"Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others"

I'd say the direct fulfillment deal had a lot to do with the numbers sold. I'd be willing to bet only a little over half a million people have their iPhone 3G's in hand. The other half or so are waiting on FedEx.

6 hours (from first stepping into the line until walking out the door with a new iPhone) on Saturday, at the Manhattan Beach, CA Apple Store. My specialist activated it, but didn't even open the package. I registered it and synched up some files at home via iTunes on Saturday evening. Took only a few minutes. The biggest issue was getting voicemail working. (AT&T website has some weird info about pressing and holding down the "1" key, but this doesn't work with a software button... Eventually got voicemail working, and the visual functionality is great.

3G network coverage is supposed to be at the highest level near my home. I have trouble getting 3G in many parts of my dwelling, and Edge is definitely slow.

My cousin went yesterday to the 14th Street store in NY and only had to wait one hour in line to get his. My state is completely sold out, so I'll be going to Manhattan on Thursday early in the day when everybody is at work in hopes that lines will be relatively short. I'd like to call ahead of time, but the 5th Ave store's phone line is always busy